Hello neighbors!  

I'm heading out to Vegas with the girlfriend and her mom in the middle of this week (Wednesday through Sunday).  We're staying near the strip and we're just gonna hang out at my family's timeshare for a few days.  We'll be gambling a little, drinking a bit, and stuffing ourselves silly at various buffets and restaurants around the strip and downtown.  

I'm interested in bringing a handgun or two with me so that we can do a little shooting while we're out there, so I'd like to know a couple of things.  First, would I need anything in particular to legally bring a pistol or two with me into Nevada?  Here in CA, I have to keep handguns unloaded and in a locked container while driving.  No problem.  But I don't know if Nevada law requires me to keep any kind of paperwork on hand while I'm visiting your state.  Second, where is a good indoor range where we can rent a lane and do a little shooting?  I've been to the Gun Store on Tropicana and rented full autos, so I know how much of a tourist trap and a zoo that place is.  I don't know how crowded it would be this time of year, but if it's bad I'd like to avoid it.  Can some of you guys recommend a good, safe, reasonably-priced range?  I'd appreciate it greatly.  

Oh yeah, anybody know of a place where I might be able to pick up some ammo for a decent price?  I'm a little low on .45acp and it wouldn't kill me to buy some more.  Also, we have a wonderful little piece of ammo legislation that kicks in on February 1st of 2011 that says we have to fully register every purchase of pistol ammo and give a thumbprint.  Instead of doing that, I think I'll just tell the CA DOJ to suck it and buy my ammo out of state.  Curiously, it will be perfectly legal for me to buy pistol ammo out of state and return to CA with it...without going through the whole registration thing.  Lame, I know.  So if some of you wouldn't mind pointing me toward some of your favorite ammo vendors in the Las Vegas area, that would be very nice of you.  Thanks in advance!

Spitfire75

I'm a Northie, so I don't have to face the peculiar and unique Clark County laws regarding the registration of handguns in Las Vegas, but I believe that if you're not staying in the locale more than 60 days you're not required to register your concealable firearms.  This state (aside from Clark County) doesn't have 'paperwork' in regards to firearms.  

If that's the only thing in your way, you should otherwise be able to transport the handgun loaded and chambered inside the vehicle you're driving as long as it's not concealed upon you or hidden by your person in any way.  That would mean:  Loaded handgun in the center console is fine, but loaded handgun hidden inside a Carl's Jr. bag or tucked between your knees is prohibited.   A whole pile of loaded handguns filling up the back seat is fine, but a loaded handgun in your wife's purse is prohibited.  If you have a NV-recognized CCW, this is all irrelevant.

Please do us and yourself a favor by keeping your handguns locked up when you're not directly in control of them.   Las Vegas is nothing but half decent people, and the other half being smash and grab robbers who would love to filch a gun.

Where to shoot?  Beats me.  Probably one of those indoor ranges down there where they treat Californians like used food.  You have my sympathies.  Maybe some Las Vegans would know.

Where to get ammo?  Walmart & Big 5 Sporting Goods.   Again, with regards to CA's absurdist ammo 'Microstamping' law they're about to inflict upon you, you have my sympathies.  

Welcome to the United States(I'm an ex-californian myself).In Nevada,you can have a loaded handgun(yes,one up the pipe) anywhere in your car,concealed or visible.Just do not have it on your person,you need a concealed firearm permit for that.In the glovebox,under seat,etc. is good to go.Open carry in a hip holster is legal in this state,but near the tourist areas someone might call the cops about a "man with a gun",use your imagination. If you are staying near the strip area your best bet for a handgun range is Discount Firearms on Highland Drive.I shot there yesterday,$12 and change including 3 targets.They have eye and ear protection(obviously mandatory) for rent if you don't have any for a nominal fee.The ammo situation sucks out here too,if you are looking for .45ACP call Go Time Gear(in the Industry forum,they will be north of you from the strip a little bit though),they had some this week for $88 and change out the door for 250 rounds.Or you can call Discount before you go and ask how much they charge and if they will sell it to you as long as you shoot it there(they had to stop selling to people to take home so they could feed their rental guns during the ammo crunch,don't know if that is still the case).Since you will be here less than 60 days,you DO NOT have to register your handgun with the police.In Clark County handguns have to be registered within 60 days of moving here,so you don't have to worry about it.Have fun and drop plenty of cash into our economy!

We have a few 250rd cases of 45ACP left at the store. Some were reserved and people backed out so they are now available. Contact Go Time Gear (that's his screen name here) and he'll set you up.  He'll be able to hold ammo for you if you pay in advance. I can probably deliver if you don't mind throwing some gas money my way.

Discount Firearms would be my first choice to use an indoor range. Open carry is legal in NV but I'd advise against it in the Strip because someone (from another state that doesn't know our laws) may call the cops. Also, you'll be around lots of people at close proximity.

Thanks for the info guys.  I'll check out Discount Firearms and see how my cash flow looks and maybe call Go Time Gear about the ammo.  If it were a little warmer and I wasn't traveling with my future mother in law, I'd like to bring out my AR and check out an outdoor range.  I haven't gotten to shoot my AR in its unneutered form since I was visiting the girlfriend's dad out in Oklahoma back in 2007.  Living in CA, I'm stuck with 10rd magazines and a Bullet Button.  It sucks, but it's better than no AR at all.  Whenever I travel out of state with it, I can revert it back to detachable magazine status.  Sigh...We're gaining ground over here though.  Little by little we're getting our gun rights back.

Well...

What's really happening over there is more like 'Sacramento anti-gunners along with the California Department of Justice finally made enough contradictory legislative mistakes that the new laws they kept adding ruined the old laws they forgot about which thereby allowed CA gunners to exploit poorly drafted legislation'.

Please understand that we do not gloat at your suffering here, Spitfire.   It infuriates us.

Take your mother in law to the Clark County Shooting Park.

As an ex-californian,I must say that your assessment of cali firearms laws is spot on PvtCowboy.I'm sure that the cali legislative fuckasses will "close that loophole" once they get wind of gun owners  "violating the SPIRIT of the law",even though they are perfectly legal.

And losing your ammo rights...

Also, there are a lot of places out in the desert where you can legally shoot, so pack up the AR in a locked case (to satisfy California or however their laws require) and bring it out here. American Shooters on Arville has a rifle range also. And the new Clark Count Shooting Park is open on weekends.

Also, Nevada offers CCW permits for out of state residents. It's not valid in California though. The Gun Store has classes.

Shooting autos at the Gun Store, I have never done that there but it looks fun.

We're working on this one too.  The new law violates the interstate commerce laws already in place.  New legislation is being introduced which will reverse the ammo registration bill.

Good luck to you guys.  It really sucks ass what's been allowed to happen there over the years.